The Only One That Matters
by soapmaniac22
Summary: Their families compete against each other at everything, but the friendship between Caroline Forbes and Klaus Mikaelson is strong enough to withstand anything...even growing up.


**Hey guys! I'm back this time with an incentive drabble for candicemorgan for contributing to Klaroline Gives Back! My prompt was :kc+children of parents who are business rivals and they sneak off to make out whenever they're forced to attend business meetings"**

 **Sooo, this started off as that, but then turned into a growing up as best friends AU at the same time. So, I hope you like it :) Thanks for donating Taylor! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The first time Caroline Forbes met Niklaus Mikaelson, she was four years old and he was six.

Their mothers were competing for Mystic Falls' best homemade apple pie at the annual Fall Festival. Caroline's mother, Liz, was the six year running champion. Her recipe passed down from the Forbes family line was a secret, one that would be given to Caroline when she was old enough to start baking for the competition.

The Mikaelson family had moved to Mystic Falls during the summer from London, England, and Esther Mikaelson's delicious baked goods had taken the town by storm. She and Liz had been at each other's throats the entire week while preparing for the contest, the town more than amused to watch them bake while furtively glaring at each other.

Caroline danced around the merry-go-round in the playground, her blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders as she sang quietly to herself.

"Hello," a voice spoke behind her and she whirled around, her humming instantly ceasing.

Caroline gave the young boy standing to her side a dubious look. He wasn't much older than her from what she could tell. His head was covered with dirty blonde curls and a curious look on his face.

"Mommy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," she sniffed, jutting her nose in the air haughtily as she tried to turn around.

"I'm not a stranger," the boy protested, jogging up beside her.

Caroline wrinkled her nose. "Well, you sure do talk funny."

The boy grinned at her, dimples appearing on his cheeks. She blushed prettily as he moved closer, coming to stand right in front of her. His accent was strange indeed, the proper tone completely opposite of the southern drawl that the four year old girl was used to hearing.

"I don't talk funny, you do," he responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Caroline gasped, a flash of anger ripping through her.

"I don't talk funny! I talk like a lady!"

"Not any lady I've seen," the boy quipped.

Caroline glared at him, whirling around and looking for her father so that she could go tattle on the rude child.

"I'm telling my daddy!"

The smile fell off the boy's face and was replaced with a scowl.

"Tattletale," he mumbled.

Caroline gasped again. "I am not!"

"You just said you were going to tell on me!" he shot back. "Tattletale!"

"Well then I'm not going to!" she nearly screamed, her little fingers twisted into tight fists.

The boy's scowl turned into a smirk, and he took a step closer.

She paused for a moment, what she just said sinking into her brain. "Oh."

He continued to stare at her, his eyes glittering at her amusedly and she slumped, letting out a sigh.

The boy hesitated before putting out his hand. "Truce?"

She eyed him warily, or as warily as a four year old could be. "You don't have any germs do you?"

He shook his head. "No. Do you?"

She scrunched her face up. "Tyler Lockwood says I have cooties."

He shrugged. "Not a big deal. My brother Elijah gave me a cootie shot the other day."

Caroline let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

She took his hand and shook it briefly. "I'm Caroline Forbes."

"Niklaus Mikaelson," the boy responded, his dimples deepening. "Call me Klaus."

Her jaw dropped. "Is your mom Esther Mikaelson?"

He nodded and Caroline took a step back, her face cringing when she realized she'd been talking to the enemy.

"My mom is Elizabeth Forbes," she said.

Instead of his face falling in disappointment like she expected, his expression was quite the opposite. His eyes just widened and he crept forward. Caroline backed away, looking around to see if her friends Bonnie and Elena were around. They'd tattle on her if they saw her with the enemy.

"Do you want to swing?" Klaus asked.

She gave him an incredulous look. "But I'm a Forbes. The pie enemy."

He shrugged. "And I'm a Mikaelson. I don't care."

Her face brightened at her new friend. In the small town of Mystic Falls, friendship was based on who you were. Caroline was always told to stay away from the Fell family, their "loose personalities" would be terrible influences on the naive four year old, the Gilbert and Bennett family being the ones that she was more allowed to hang out with. The Mikaelson family was still too new to make decisions on, but Klaus seemed nice enough despite his mother being the apple pie enemy.

"Okay," she agreed, grinning at the way his eyes lit up.

He put out a hand and Caroline's nose wrinkled.

"Sorry, I can't expose myself to boy germs twice in one day," she said delicately, sticking her nose up.

He rolled his eyes but pointed over towards the swings. "Come on."

"Caroline!"

Her shoulders slumped when she heard her father's voice call across the playground. She turned around, Klaus' gaze following hers. Her father was standing at the edge of the jungle gym, gesturing for her to come over.

"Come on Carebear, Mommy's ready to go home!" he called.

Caroline looked back over at Klaus, his eyes downcast as he met her gaze briefly.

"I got to go," she murmured.

He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. She reached out, squeezing his arm briefly before bounding across the playground to her father. Her blonde hair streaked behind her as she ran, and she went to wipe his boy germs off her hand on her pants, but decided not to.

"Who was that honey?" Bill Forbes asked, gathering the blonde in his arms.

"His name is Klaus," Caroline responded brightly, looking over her father's shoulder and waved at the boy.

Klaus waved back, a grin spreading across his face as he made his way over to the swings.

"Can we have a play-date Daddy? He's really nice," Caroline asked, pouting out her bottom lip towards him.

Bill chuckled, running a hand through his daughter's curls. "You'll have to ask your mother about that. Seeing as she just lost her reigning championship to his mother, you might want to wait a couple of days."

"Oh no!" Caroline's face crumpled disappointedly for her mother, forgetting all about her new friend. "Poor Mommy."

Bill smiled, holding his daughter closer as he carried her towards the tents. "Come on, let's grab some ice cream for your mom and head home."

Caroline nodded in agreement, wrapping her arms around her father's neck, peeking shyly over at Klaus on the swings. Two older boys had joined him, along with a little blonde toddler girl and an energetic brunette boy who ran circles around them. Klaus looked up once more, and smiled at her. The corner of her lips turned up as she returned it, and she buried her head in the crook of her father's neck shyly.

What nice boy.

* * *

The first time they kissed, she was eight and he was ten.

This time, Caroline's father was competing against Klaus' father, Mikael, for the new leader position on the Mystic Falls Council. The election was held every four years, and it was always a big ordeal for the residents of the town. The council almost held as much power as the mayor of Mystic Falls did, so the election was one of the most important days of the year for the small town.

"I dare you to steal Elena's mom's scarf," Damon Salvatore said deviously, wiggling his eyebrows at his younger brother Stefan.

Caroline rolled her eyes. What an amateur dare.

Stefan looked hesitantly over at Elena, whose eyes were wide in terror. "I don't think Elena would like that very much."

Klaus was sitting next to Caroline and he fidgeted impatiently, nudging her with his knee. They both exchanged looks of boredom before turning back to the triangle. The Salvatore brothers moved in over a year ago, both brothers immediately being taken with her friend Elena. Caroline thought the boys were strange, Damon always trying to act older than his ten years of age, and Stefan was super dull.

They were all sitting in a circle in Tyler Lockwood's bedroom, the current Mayor's son. Tyler and Matt Donovan were off watching TV on the other side of the room, game controllers in hand. Caroline, Klaus, Stefan, Damon, and Elena were all playing truth or dare, along with her twin Katherine, Bonnie Bennett, and Klaus' little brother Kol.

"Stealing is a crime!" Elena squeaked.

"It's a dare, 'Lena" Katherine piped up with a roll of the eyes. "It's in Mom's purse. It's not like she's going to miss it for a few minutes."

"It's a lame dare," Klaus said, bored.

Caroline had to hand it to him. She was expecting something way worse coming from Damon. Other than Klaus and Kol, he prided himself on being the mischievous one of the bunch.

"You're lame," Damon shot back.

Caroline snorted. "Not as lame as that comeback."

Katherine giggled, nudging her with her elbow. Damon's face turned bright red, and he glared in her direction. Stefan looked temporarily relieved that the dare was being questioned, and Elena was scowling at Damon in disgust for suggesting to steal. Kol and Klaus both looked bored and Bonnie was twirling a lock of hair around her finger, her eight year old mind daydreaming as she looked out the window.

"What do you suggest then?" Damon bit out.

Caroline shrugged, casting her eyes to her hands. "I dunno. Something better than that."

She looked over at Klaus for help, and his lips curved into a smirk. His eyes sparkled as he seemed to come up with something. Caroline watched him interestedly. As devious as Damon tried to be, Klaus matched him when it came to being a troublemaker.

"I have a dare for Stefan," he spoke up.

Stefan cringed. "What?"

"I dare you," he began loftily, "to kiss Elena."

"What?!"

"Ew!"

"Excellent!"

Damon's face grew even redder with anger. He wasn't shy about his crush on Elena. All of the color had drained out of Stefan's face as he looked shyly over at the brunette in question. Her doe eyes were wide in surprise, and she scooted instinctively away from the eight year old boy.

Caroline nose wrinkled in disgust. Poor girl, stuck kissing the boring Salvatore.

Plus, boys were still gross.

Klaus looked entirely too pleased with himself, smirking over at Stefan.

"Come on, mate. You're taking too long."

"What if he picks Truth?" Damon blurted out.

"He already picked dare. He can't," Kol piped up. "Plus, I triple dog dare him to kiss Elena."

There was a collective gasp that went around the circle, and Caroline's eyes widened in surprise. Now Stefan _had_ to kiss her.

Elena pressed her lips together firmly, and sighed. Damon glared at Klaus who looked all too pleased with himself as Kol laughed. Stefan scooted closer to Elena, both of them scrunching their faces as they leaned in. Caroline watched with mild interest, wondering if they'd actually go through with it or if Elena would chicken out at the last second. Even Bonnie has snapped out of her daydreaming long enough to pay attention.

Their lips had barely touched when Elena pulled away like he was on fire and the group burst out into giggles, with the exception of a sulking Damon. Klaus looked bored still, but a tiny grin was plastered across his face. Stefan's cheeks were beet red in embarrassment and Elena scooted far away from him, cuddling up to her twin's side.

"Well that was anti-climatic," Klaus drawled.

Stefan threw him a look. "I did it, didn't I?"

"Barely," he snorted.

"Okay," Stefan started, a thoughtful look overtaking his features. "It's your turn. Truth or Dare?"

Klaus rolled his eyes, and Caroline hid a tiny smile. Stefan was always terrible at giving them something to do or answer.

"Dare."

"I dare you," Stefan said, looking around the circle. His eyes fell on Caroline and he grinned. "To kiss Caroline. For five whole seconds."

Caroline's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. There was a chorus of gasps around the circle. Matt and Tyler put down their game controllers and came to join the circle, their eyes flitting between Caroline and Klaus. The satisfied smile had slid off Klaus' face and he eyed her uneasily. Out of all the kids in the group, they had grown the closest over the years. The idea of kissing his best friend was perplexing, something that he could see in Caroline's eyes as she looked over at him.

"But he's a boy," Caroline tried. "And boys have cooties."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "I kissed Elena and she's not sick."

"To be determined," Katherine cracked and he shot her a glare.

"But he's my best friend," she looked over at him. "It's weird."

Klaus nodded, his jaw clenching tightly as he shot a glare to Stefan.

"You aren't chicken are you?" Kol interrupted, the six year old wiggling his brows at them.

"No!" Caroline squeaked out.

"Don't be silly," Klaus said confidently.

"Then kiss," Bonnie said, the quiet girl finally chiming in.

They looked at each other carefully, Caroline chewing on her bottom lip pensively as Klaus pressed his together firmly. Their eyes met and they silently communicated with their eyes, both of them unable to find a way to get out of the dare. Then with a nod, Caroline sighed and moved closer to him. Her eyes scrunched shut and she puckered her lips, her palms growing sweaty in anticipation.

There was a moment and Caroline felt a soft pair of lips press against hers. She jolted at the contact, surprised at how soft and gentle his mouth felt against hers. He tilted his head a bit, making their lips slide and Caroline pressed her mouth against him firmly.

It was surprisingly nice.

 _Maybe boys aren't so gross after all_ , Caroline contemplated.

"That was way longer than five seconds," Damon interrupted her thoughts.

They jerked apart, her eyes flying open as she stared at Klaus. He blinked at her dumbly before scratching the back of his neck and looked away. Caroline's cheeks flushed prettily, and the eight year old cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Stefan.

"Happy?" she said primly.

Stefan just grinned and nodded. The group began giggling again, daring others to kiss each other and Klaus drifted out of the group, getting up out of the circle. Caroline frowned, following him towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see if Father is ready to go," he responded, looking away from her.

Caroline bit her lip, feeling confused. "Are you upset that you had to kiss me?"

His eyes snapped to her, and his face looked like she'd grown three heads. "Of course not."

She played with the hem of her dress, looking down shyly. "Okay."

"You're my best friend," he smiled slightly, nudging her with his shoulder.

The corner of her lips turned into a small smile that grew when he gave her a dimpled one of his own. She punched him lightly on the arm, and he made a face and rubbed the spot.

"Want to see if my dad won yet?" she asked.

Klaus made a face. "Actually, maybe we should stay away from that. I don't think Father will be happy when he loses."

She grimaced. Mikael Mikaelson wasn't exactly a gracious loser, something that was reflected in his children. Caroline had lost count the amount of times Klaus had nearly thrown a fit over losing a game to his siblings.

He always conceded his defeat graciously to Caroline, though.

"Hide and seek?" she offered.

He grinned. "You're on."

* * *

Caroline was twelve when she realized that her fourteen year old best friend was a boy.

It was silly really.

She knew that he was a boy, but it never really occurred to her that he was a _boy._

Caroline and Klaus' little sister Rebekah were lying poolside at the Mikaelson mansion at a back-to-school party that was put on by the Mystic Falls PTO. Their mothers were once again battling it out for accolades, this time to be the chair of the PTO for the upcoming school year. Caroline was entering into 7th grade, Rebekah into 5th, and Klaus would be starting high school.

She was excited for her best friend, but she also knew that going to two different schools was something that would probably test their friendship.

And that was always a terrifying thought.

"I can't wait until I'm in middle school," Rebekah sighed.

"I can't wait until I'm in high school," Caroline replied, adjusting her sunglasses.

She ran her tongue over her braces, grimacing at the feel. She had just gotten fit for them last week, and Caroline wasn't looking forward for the next two miserable years of her life as a brace face.

"You just want to go there because Nik is," Rebekah sniffed.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. He's my best friend."

"I don't know why," his little sister groaned. "He's disgusting and smells."

"Not to me," Caroline shrugged. "He's just Klaus."

"He's been so irritable lately," Rebekah continued as if Caroline never spoke. "He's been pouting all week ever since Tatia Petrova started flirting with Elijah at the city pool."

Caroline ignored the pang of jealousy that clenched her heart at the mention of Elena and Katherine's visiting cousin. Like the Gilbert girls, Tatia had the same stunning mane of brunette hair and almond eyes that captivated all the attention of every guy between the ages of 13-16. She was fourteen, and one of the biggest flirts that Caroline had ever met.

So of course, all of her girl friends hated her, and all of her guy friends loved her.

Caroline chalked her jealousy up to her disdain for her own looks. Her blonde hair was frizzy at best, her braces annoying, and she was still in the midst of another growth spurt, feeling gangly and awkward.

"I don't know why he cares," Caroline said. "She's leaving at the end of the summer."

"He's a teenage boy," Rebekah scrunched her nose up. "All he thinks about are girls."

Caroline snorted.

Klaus was not a boy.

He was Klaus.

Speaking of the devil, the boy in question, clad in swim shorts and a t-shirt, bounded across the back deck of the mansion and flopped dramatically down to next to Caroline on a chair.

"Hello, love."

She rolled her eyes. He'd been on the pet name kick for about a year now, having watched numerous romantic comedies with Caroline. The latter had proclaimed how dignified all the men in the movies had sounded when they use pet names, and had started using them to sound cooler.

It was highly annoying to her, especially since he'd deemed her the guinea pig that he tried them out on.

"So who's winning this time?" Caroline asked, nodding towards Esther and Liz.

They were manning the food table, both of them with bright smiles but tense expressions as they glared at each other.

"I think Mother, but just slightly," Klaus contemplated. "Someone mentioned how much your mother had to work as Sheriff and that swayed a few votes."

Caroline made a sympathetic face before sitting up and pulling her tankini back into place. Klaus' gaze ghosted over her midsection briefly before giving her a friendly smile.

"Excited about school in a few days?"

She frowned, looking down at her hands. This was the one year that she wasn't totally pumped for the first day.

"Hey," Klaus said quietly, pushing her to the side to join her on the beach chair. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she muttered, adjusting her sunglasses.

"Caroline," he rolled his eyes, plucking them off her eyes.

She glared at him, and he just smoothed down her creased forehead with his fingers.

"Nothing is going to change," he murmured, looking at her earnestly. "I promise."

She swallowed, feeling a lump form in her throat. Klaus caught her fingers and gave them a gentle squeeze. Her heart flipped over, but she figured it was something to do with her fears and his attempts to dissuade her.

"Okay," she agreed. "I believe you."

His answering smile nearly knocked the breath out of her.

"Want to hit the pool?"

She looked at him warily. "Are you going to dunk me again? I'm still draining water out of my ears from last year."

He gave her an innocent look. "I will be the utmost gentleman, love. Swear it."

Caroline threw her head back and laughed, her blonde curls whipping over her shoulder. Klaus grinned at the musical noise, standing up and offering her a hand. Rebekah grumbled under her breath about them being too loud before turning over in her chair. Caroline took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled up, feeling a tremor go up her arm at his touch. She sucked in a low breath, realizing how warm his hand felt around hers as he tugged her toward the pool.

She stood dumbly next to him at the water's edge, her mind contemplating how rough his hand felt against her soft ones. They'd held hands countless amounts of time, mostly her pulling him to go somewhere, but she'd never really thought about how it felt until right then.

Caroline shook her head, rolling her eyes at her ability to over think everything.

Klaus gave her his signature smirk, completely oblivious to the strange thoughts running around her mind. There was a pause and Klaus pulled off his t-shirt, tossing it to the side. Caroline's eyes widened as she took in his form. His torso was long and lean, with his signature necklaces laying across the top. The smooth skin of his chest was captivating, and her eyes couldn't help but stare at it. Klaus' usual mop of blonde curls were messy, longer than they'd been in the past. She found herself lingering on his plump lips, finding them fuller than she remembered. His dimples made her knees feel a bit weak in the knees and slightly lightheaded,

When did her best friend turn into a boy?

Correction, when did her best friend turn into a _cute_ boy?

Caroline stared at him, her jaw slackened as he ran a hand through his messy curls. She idly noted that she shouldn't be thinking these things about her best friend, but she couldn't get over what she was just now discovering.

Klaus was cute.

Klaus was _very_ cute.

"Love, are you alright?" he asked, his forehead creasing in concern.

Caroline swallowed heavily, blinking rapidly as she looked away. "Yeah. I just realized how warm it was out here."

 _Very_ warm.

He frowned at her, reaching up to feel her forehead. "Are you feeling okay? You look flushed."

Caroline ducked to avoid his touch, shaking her head. "I'm fine. It's the heat."

"Well, if that's the case-" Klaus' concerned expression turned mischievous, "-then we need to cool you off."

Caroline realized a half second late what his intentions were, and yelped when he pushed her playfully into the pool. The cool water was a shock to her system, and all the strange thoughts about Klaus flew from her brain as she came up to the surface, sputtering angrily. He was chuckling to himself, looking all too pleased.

Caroline glared at him before crumpling up her face, rubbing her shoulder. "Ouch."

His face turned instantly into concern. There were two things in life that he couldn't handle and that was Caroline in pain, and her crying.

"What's wrong?"

"It's my shoulder," she grimaced, sniffling quietly. "I think I pulled it."

He crouched down and looked at it carefully from a distance. "What part hurts?"

Caroline moved closer to the edge, pointing to her shoulder blade. He leaned closer, putting his hand out to touch her wet skin gingerly. She latched a hand around his forearm and pulled, sending him somersaulting over her and into the pool.

He caused a big splash and Caroline nearly choked on the wave, holding her sides as she laughed. Klaus soon came to the surface, a glare on his face as his eyes flashed menacingly.

"Oops," she teased, biting her lip innocently.

"You're dead," he warned, the glare on his face more playful than angry.

"Try to catch me!" Caroline shrieked, taking off in the water.

He leapt after her, catching her foot and pulling her to his chest and she slid against his bare skin, shivering. There was a pause when their eyes met, and Caroline swallowed, feeling her blood rush to her head as her cheeks pinked. Klaus blinked and then shoved her head under the water. Caroline squealed, jumping on his back when she came back up, catching him off guard and shoving him under the water.

They spent the rest of the afternoon horsing around in the pool, enjoying the last few minutes of summer. Soon Rebekah and the rest of the group joined them in the pool, even Tatia to Caroline's annoyance. But to her delight, Klaus didn't pay much attention to her. He spent most of his time trying to dunk Caroline, or horsing around with the Salvatore brothers.

Caroline sighed blissfully as she floated on her back around the pool, sharing a lazy smile with him.

Summer was the best time of the year.

* * *

Caroline was sixteen and Klaus was eighteen when they kissed for the second time.

She wiped at a tear that slid down her cheek and blew out a shaky breath. It was the end of August, three days before she would begin her junior year of high school, two weeks after her father remarried and moved out of town with his partner, Steven. Bill had conceded the council position to Mikael Mikaelson, so for the first time in years her parents weren't currently competing against her best friends'.

It was also the day before Klaus headed to college in New York.

She was sitting on the hood of her car, ankles crossed as she stared out at the scenery at the Falls, her eyes unseeing as she sat in silence. Klaus and her came up the place every once in awhile to hang out and talk about everything under the sun. She loved coming to the Falls, finding it one of the only places in Mystic Falls where she could be alone with her thoughts.

Despite the two year age difference between Klaus and Caroline, their friendship had survived the majority of high school. There were a few girlfriends and boyfriends that tried to replace them, but they remained closer than ever.

Thus Caroline's devastation at having to live without him around until Thanksgiving break.

"Hello, love."

Of course he knew where to find her.

She sucked in a low breath and wiped at her eyes, sniffing as she tried to hide her emotions. Klaus couldn't stand it when she cried, and it made him feel as miserable as she did.

"Hey," she said, cursing the pathetic way her voice broke when she spoke.

There was a deep sigh and Klaus slid next to her on the hood of the car. "Sweetheart-"

"Let's not do this," she interrupted, wiping at her eyes again. "You leave tomorrow and there is no need to be mopey."

Klaus looked at her, his lips curved into a sad smile. "You're the mopey one."

"Shut up," she muttered half-heartedly, elbowing him.

He caught her arm and threaded it through the crook of his and pulled her to his side, letting her snuggle her head on his shoulder. She sighed contentedly at the woodsy, spicy scent that was 100% pure Klaus. She closed her eyes as the tranquil sounds of rushing water and birds chirping fell over them, the peaceful solitude releasing some of the tension she felt.

"Are you all packed?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he replied, his tone sounding as defeated as hers.

"When do you leave in the morning?"

"I think Elijah is taking me to the airport around 8," he answered. "Do you want to come?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, I don't think it'd be a good idea."

Klaus looked at her, confusion marring his face. "Why not?"

She shrugged, letting go of his arm before scooting away on the hood of the car. She took a long look at her best friend, unable to disguise the catch in her throat when their eyes met. High school had been very kind to Klaus. When she was twelve, Caroline did harbor a tiny crush on him, but she chalked it up to becoming a pre-teen and finally noticing that boys were something she was definitely interested in. But, when she entered high school, her tiny crush on Klaus had turned into a full-blown infatuation.

His body had filled out nicely. The long lean lines of his torso were mouth-watering whenever she accidentally saw him shirtless. He had stubble that littered the sharp jaw line of his face, and his plump, raspberry colored lips were always transfixed into his irritatingly handsome smirk.

But his eyes were beautiful.

The deep blue-green orbs had a hint of gold in them that always managed to flash whenever she was around, and always had a way of seeing right through to her. Soon he'd be beating off the college girls with a stick.

She swallowed, feeling suddenly sick at the thought of it.

Caroline herself had finally grown out of her awkward stage. Her teeth were perfectly straight, skin finally cleared up, and her body had finally began to catch up to her long, lean legs. Her cheerleading activities kept her in shape, and also helped her catch the attention of many football players, something that was not lost on Klaus.

"It'll be too hard to see you walk away," she finally managed, looking away from his piercing gaze.

"Love, you know I'm coming back," he tried.

She rolled her eyes and scooted off the car. "I know."

Klaus' forehead wrinkled. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just going to miss you," she said lightly.

He rolled his own eyes and got up off the car, coming to stand in front of her. "There is something else that's bothering you."

"No there isn't," she tried again.

"Caroline."

She sighed, his no nonsense tone telling her that he wasn't buying any of her lines. Sometimes it sucked on how easy it was for him to read her, but other times it thrilled her to no end.

This was one of the times it sucked.

"Klaus," she shot back mockingly.

He raised an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest and gave her a pointed look. Caroline bit her lip and sighed, her shoulders slumping.

"I guess I'm just a little nervous," she started.

"About what?"

"You going off to college, and I'm stuck here-"

"Only for two more years," he interrupted.

"But still, a lot can happen in two years," she pointed out. "You're my best friend, Klaus. What if you go off to college and we never talk? What if we grow apart? You may find some to replace me, some beautiful girl that blows your mind and you forget all about me? This isn't like you going to high school and we'd hang out on the weekends. You're moving to New York."

"Caro-"

"I mean, you've been the most constant person in my life since I was four, and I can't imagine you in my life," she continued, blinking back a wave of tears that sprung in her eyes. "What if you forget about me?"

"Love-"

"What if you find someone better?" she said quietly, looking down. "Someone better than me, more beautiful and funny, and smart and-"

"Caroline!" he nearly shouted, snapping her out of her rant.

She looked up, her eyes widening at the look on his face. His eyes were soft, lips parted as his gaze flitted over her. The look in his eyes was unreadable, but it took away her breath.

"I don't think this is about us losing our friendship."

Caroline swallowed, licking her bottom lip. Klaus' gaze lowered to her lips briefly before going back to her eyes.

"Maybe it's not," she replied, her voice shaking a little.

He took a step forward, and Caroline sucked in a low breath. When he took her hand, a jolt when up her arm and she trembled. Klaus' lips turned upwards in a smile and his fingers ghosted up her arm until they were cupping her cheek. Blood rushed to her head, her pulse racing as her brain went fuzzy at his touch.

"Do you realize how important you are to me?" he asked softly.

Caroline couldn't respond, her mind fixated on how good his palm felt against her cheek.

"You're not just my best friend, Caroline," he confessed.

She steeled herself for the "family" comment that was sure to drop from his lips.

"You're...everything," he breathed. "You're all I think about, when we're together, when we're apart."

She couldn't blink, let alone breathe.

"Nobody could ever replace you, because no other girl out there compares to you. You're beautiful, strong, full of light, and you deserve everything that's good in the world."

"But what if all I want is you?" she couldn't help but ask.

His lips turned into a sad smile. Her heart dropped and a tear fell down her cheek. Klaus' face went ash white, and eyes widened. His fingers wiped underneath her eyes, catching the tears as they fell.

"Don't cry, please," he murmured. "You deserve better than me."

"But what if I don't want anybody other than you?"

Klaus blinked and pulled her close, pressing his lips against hers firmly. Caroline melted into the kiss, her mouth slanting over his. Their lips moved together slowly, brushing softly with each touch. His hand slid into her blonde curls, tilting her head so that he could deepen the kiss. She gasped when his tongue slid against hers hotly, making her dizzy. Caroline kissed him back, her heart singing at how right it felt, how well their bodies seemed to fit against each others. Her hands explored the muscles of his back, her fingertips scraping underneath the hem of his henley. He groaned into her mouth and kissed her harder, pulling her tight against him.

She broke the kiss for air, but kept him close. Klaus leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. Her eyes closed again and she concentrated on breathing, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Licking her lips, she had to bite back a moan at his taste. Klaus tucked a curl behind her ear, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Caroline let out a short chuckle, shaking her head.

"It would be the night before you leave that we'd come to all these conclusions," she said dryly.

He echoed her laugh, the deep rumbling in his chest vibrating against hers.

"The timing isn't right," he admitted.

"It's not," she confirmed. "You're going to go to college and find all these other gorgeous girls-"

"Who could never compare to you," he interrupted with a roll of the eyes. "You're going to finish school, bring all those high school boys to their knees-"

"Who could never compare to you," she said cheekily, smirking at the grin that spread across his face.

There was a beat and Caroline lifted her head up, moving her hand to his jaw. She traced his stubble lightly, biting on her lower lip as she tried to think of something to say.

"Klaus?" she finally managed.

"Yes, love?"

"Can we just have tonight? No regrets, commitment, nothing? Just me and you?"

Klaus sucked in a low breath, swallowing when he realized what she was implying.

"Caroline-"

"I mean, if you don't want to then I totally understand because you don't want to mess up our friendship, but that line is super blurry right now and-"

He cut her off with a kiss, his fingers carding into her blonde curls. Caroline returned it eagerly, stars exploding behind her closed eyelids as she pressed herself close to him. They kissed frantically, sending shivers down her back. He licked into her mouth, nibbling at her bottom lip playfully. She gasped at the sting, feeling a stab of arousal go to her lower belly. Their tongues slid against each others, and Caroline let out a tiny moan when his hand ghosted down to ass. His lips trailed down her neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She tugged at his shirt, trying to pull it up.

Klaus broke away, breathing harshly as he laid his forehead against hers once more. His eyes had darkened lustfully, the gold glint in his eyes deepening.

"Are you sure?" he managed to get out.

Caroline paused, brushing her hand down his arm to lace their fingers together. Without saying a word, she pulled him down to where they were settling down on the soft grass and straddled him.

His eyes widened, but he skimmed his thumb over her cheekbone gently. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, nibbling on it gently.

"More than anything," she stated, smiling.

Something flashed in his eyes, and she found herself on her back with his lips attached to her neck. She arched into him, eyes rolling back in her head as his tongue dragged across her jaw.

"You're beautiful," he mumbled against her skin.

Caroline smiled, relaxing her body as she lost herself in him. His hand drifted up her thigh, stroking the smooth skin of her leg. Soon, she was tugging off his shirt, and he was torturing her with his nimble fingers at the apex of her legs. They moved together slowly, dragging out every moment as if they'd never get the chance to again.

It was perfect way to say goodbye.

* * *

Caroline was twenty and Klaus was twenty-two when they finally stopped beating around the bush.

When Klaus went off to college, both him and Caroline promised to remain friends above everything. They wouldn't hold each other back from dating someone else, even if it hurt like hell whenever they tried to move on. The first two years were rough, Caroline finding herself in a relationship with Matt Donovan for the majority of junior year, and Tyler Lockwood ending up being her steady boyfriend from senior year and through her freshman year of college to her surprise. She really did love Tyler, but in the long run, he wasn't Klaus.

Klaus didn't really date, preferring to jump from casual relationship to casual relationship. The longest relationship he had was with some redhead girl that he spent most of his time avoiding, rather than actually dating.

Their respective relationships strained their friendship a bit, Tyler didn't like the amount of time Klaus and Caroline would spend together, and Caroline couldn't stand the ditzy girls that Klaus would bring for dates to events. The girls didn't last long once they'd made their negative feelings about Caroline clear, and after the millionth fight over Klaus with Tyler, that ended quickly too.

However, they remained best friends above all else.

"Can you believe this?" Caroline asked, fidgeting in the dark suit her mother had gifted her to wear. "Our parents running for the senate seat against each other?"

Klaus rolled his eyes, plopping an arm across the back of her shoulders. "Are you really surprised? Our parents have been going at it since you were four."

"Yet, Mom and Esther still host Christmas dinner every year," she laughed.

He grinned, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. They were sitting in a courtroom in Richmond, each of their mothers had come to the capitol to officially file for their senate seat campaign. There was going to be a press conference afterwards, the media obsessed with the two families from Mystic Falls who were close, but still competing against each other.

"At least the previous competitions were low-key," Caroline mentioned, shaking her head. "How did they even get here?"

"I think Liz mentioned something about wanting to make a difference in the state, and Mother can't handle a competition where your mother might win," Klaus chuckled.

"They are so competitive. It's ridiculous," Caroline sighed.

He nodded.

"How's UConn?" Klaus asked, still fiddling with her hair.

She closed her eyes briefly when he accidentally brushed her cheek. It was infuriatingly annoying how much her body still seemed to react to him when he was around. He was in his final year at NYU and she was in her sophomore year at the University of Connecticut. They were only about a hour and a half train ride apart, so they managed to meet up and see each other once every few weeks.

"It's okay," she shrugged. "My roommate Enzo is a lot better than Liv was last year."

Klaus' face formed into a scowl and he let out a little huff. Caroline pressed her lips together to keep from giggling. Her roommate was an extremely handsome guy from London, and they'd instantly bonded over the fact that they took the same sociology class. Enzo was ridiculously bad at studying, something that Caroline was good at, and they'd grown into great friends.

So, of course Klaus was crazy jealous.

"You know, you two would actually get along if you even tried," she chided, elbowing him playfully.

Klaus tossed her a glare. "I doubt that."

"What? You have plenty in common. You're British, anal about how tea is made, use annoying pet names, and you both adore me," she ticked off her fingers, flashing him a brilliant smile.

"Sweetheart," he sighed.

She rolled her eyes. "Klaus, you don't need to be jealous."

He gave her an offended look. "I am _not_ jealous."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him, tilting her head. He just blinked innocently, a dimple appearing on one cheek as the corner of his lips raised into a sloppy smirk.

"You know, you never really hated the guys I dated in the past," she said casually.

"You're dating him?!" he exclaimed, dropping his arm from her shoulders and standing up.

"So you are jealous," she grinned.

He glared at her, folding his arms across his chest. Caroline bit her lip as she admired the way his suit pulled against his lean form.

God, did he get hotter since she saw him last weekend?

Her motion wasn't lost on Klaus as his eyes flitted down to her lips, darkening considerably as the air between them changed.

"Are you dating him?" he asked again.

Caroline made a face as she stood up, mirroring his pose. "Ew, no. Would you date that?"

He looked at her warily. "Really?"

"Seriously," she said honestly. "I'm not dating him, nor do I ever want to."

Klaus breathed a visible sigh of relief, something that made Caroline grin. Then his eyes narrowed again and he took a step forward.

"What, you got a thing against dating British guys?"

Caroline's jaw dropped. "Seriously? You have got to be kidding me."

He grinned, pulling her by her elbows into his chest. She went willingly, sighing contentedly.

"You're the only British man for me," she teased.

His body tensed, the air growing more tense. She raised her head to look at him, realizing exactly how close they were standing. His face was so close that she could practically individually count his eyelashes.

"It's actually been a while," she admitted, swallowing thickly.

Klaus blinked. "Really?"

She nodded slowly, admiring his raspberry lips that were pressed together.

"Me too," he said softly.

Caroline had to bite back the grin that attempted to overtake her face.

"You know," she began carefully. "I always thought that once high school was over, and I began to live the college life for a while, date a few frogs, and live it up being single for a while, that I might consider settling down."

Klaus raised an eyebrow, his grip on her waist tightening. "Is that so?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "The guy would have to be worth it."

Klaus reached up, his thumb stroking her chin.

"I could make a good case for someone."

"Oh yeah, who?" she asked playfully.

"Me."

They hadn't discussed this in nearly four years, both of them agreeing that the time was never really right for them. But Klaus was finally going to be out of college, and he planned on staying in New York. Caroline always thought she'd end up in the city, her and Katherine Gilbert planning on getting an apartment together after graduation in two years. Katherine ended up dating Klaus' brother Elijah who worked in a law firm in Manhattan. Her twin was still in Mystic Falls, debating once more over which Salvatore she was going to date for the next year.

Caroline sucked in low breath, trying to fight off the urge to fully jump into his arms and claim him for herself.

"You know you're the only woman for me," Klaus said, the corner of his mouth lifting up impishly.

"Is that so?" she asked, a small smile spreading across her lips.

He rolled his eyes. "Love, you've had me since you were four."

Her cheeks tinged pink, and she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yeah?"

"I knew I loved you the minute you threatened to tattle on me," he grinned.

She giggled, pressing her face into his shoulder. When she finished laughing, Caroline realized what he had just said.

"Wait, you love me?" she asked, whipping her head back up to his level. "Like, love me, love me?"

There was a satisfied smile playing at his lips. "Was there any question? I've always loved you, loved you."

Her heart clenched at the soft look on his face, his eyes glittering happily. She pressed her lips together and ducked her head shyly. Her head was dizzy at the sudden change of events, the blood in her body rushing to her cheeks.

"I love you too," she replied quietly, her heart bursting at the sheer happiness she saw on his face. "I always have."

He opened his mouth to say something, but Caroline never gave him the chance. She pulled his lips down to her, wrapping her fingers around the curls on the back of his neck. His lips were just as soft as she remembered, if not softer. He pulled her closer, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. She sighed, their lips moving together in a dance that they'd perfected.

Her heart felt like exploding from all the emotions she was feeling, like she finally felt complete. A choir of angels sang in the background, bells toiled, and whistles whistled in her head as he thoroughly kissed her. Caroline could spend the rest of her life kissing Klaus and it still wouldn't be enough. His tongue licked her bottom lip and she opened her mouth, her tongue sliding against his in hot, wet strokes. His teeth scraped her lip gently and she moaned loudly, rubbing against him. She subtly ghosted a hand down his torso, tracing the buckle on his belt before dipping a fingertip underneath it.

He broke the kiss with a laugh, and she whined. He gave her an apologetic look and kissed her pout.

"As much as I'd rather ravish you here-" she shivered in anticipation at his words "- but we're in the middle of the capitol and if the press catches us, our mothers would kill us."

She made a face. He was right. Nothing like a sex scandal to liven up a senatorial campaign.

"Okay," she sighed, letting go of his neck. "But I'm not hiding our relationship outside the press."

"Relationship?" he quirked a brow at her.

She nodded, pursing her lips together. "Yep. You're my boyfriend so get used to it."

Klaus' face broke out into a grin and he pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Caroline returned it enthusiastically, groaning when he pulled away again.

"Boyfriend has a nice ring to it, doesn't it love?"

"So does girlfriend," Caroline supplied. "Almost as much as best friend."

His eyes softened and he kissed the palm of her hand, sending shocks up her arm.

"Almost."

* * *

Caroline was twenty four and Klaus was twenty-six when her father beat Mikael Mikaelson for the Virginia State Representative position.

Both of their mothers campaigns for the senate had failed, but it had been fun for Klaus and Caroline to sneak around the press until the elections were over. Soon enough, both families ambition for politics came about again, this time Caroline's father wanting to throw his hat in the ring. His family life put him at an edge to Mikael in the election, and the elder Mikaelson conceded his defeat at his wife's urging.

Caroline gasped as Klaus tweaked her nipple through her shirt, heat pooling between her thighs as his teeth scraped down her neck. His tongue darted out to taste her skin, drawing out a soft moan as she ground against his stiff erection.

"Klaus," she tried.

He hummed in response, sucking on her collarbone. They'd sneaked off during her father's celebratory party and ended up in a broom closet, unable to wait for their own celebration.

"We've been gone for twenty m-minutes," she tried again, jerking when his hand skimmed across her inner thigh.

"They won't miss us for another twenty," he shrugged, pulling her lips to his.

His tongue parted her lips with a thrust, his hand tracing the edge of her lacy underwear. Caroline kissed him back hotly, her hand brushing against his length. He pressed his thumb against her clit, making her jerk. Klaus smirked against her skin, dragging his tongue down her neck. Caroline arched into him, noticing the light underneath the door of the closet they were coupling in.

Her father would probably be looking for her soon to join her on the podium for a press conference, and finding her in here with Klaus in the throes of passion would be totally embarrassing.

But actually wouldn't be the first time it happened to them.

Poor Elijah still couldn't look at her without blushing.

"I'm so not going out there with sex hair," she lectured, plucking his fingers from her hair.

He whined, but detracted his hands. She gave him a sly grin as she adjusted her dress and fluffing out her hair.

"What am I supposed to do about this?" he asked, gesturing to his obvious arousal.

She giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'll take care of it later, promise."

"I'll hold you to it," he murmured, pulling her in closer for a longer kiss.

She smiled into it before pushing him away. "Seriously, we got to go find my Dad for the press conference."

"It's a big night," Klaus said, looking down on her hand.

Caroline followed his gaze, admiring the diamond ring Klaus had slid on her ring finger earlier that day. He'd taken her completely by surprise, and she usually hated surprises, but his proposal was a huge exception to that rule. Life with her best friend and the love of her life always kept her on her toes, and she loved every minute of it.

"A very big night," she agreed, fiddling with it.

Klaus ran his thumb over the side of it, a goofy smile taking over his face. Caroline caressed his cheek and he leaned into it, turning to press a kiss to it.

"Ready?" he asked, gesturing towards the door.

"Ready," she confirmed and he opened the door, leading them out to a swarm of cameras that were waiting in the next room.

With Klaus by her side, Caroline could handle anything that the world threw at her.

Especially if their parents ended up competing for the presidential candidacy in the next few years.

With their families, who knew?

* * *

 **Thanks for reading :) Please review and tell me what you think! I know I'm a tease with the smut, but I'm still burned out on that after DLS and this story would have turned into novel status if I added it in ;)**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


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